Transport Transparency

The risks of animal transport and how we mitigate them to help save more lives

Toronto Humane Society’s mission is to Improve the Lives of Animals – and we go beyond the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to do so. Through our animal Transport and Relocation Program, we have been involved in hundreds of animal transfers over the years. From remote communities in northern Ontario to southern regions in the United States, to the Caribbean, and China, we support overburdened communities to help as many animals as we can.

Although relocating animals from one place to another comes with its own risks, Toronto Humane Society is prepared and able to help. We are fortunate to be in a location where overpopulation isn’t as much of a challenge. Local animals still come into our care, and they are our priority. When we are able, we extend a helping hand to communitieswith an overpopulation of pets that are facing euthanasia simply because there isn’t any space for them. In April 2022, we did the most transfers we have done since the beginning of the pandemic. With the support from rescue groups, other animal welfare organizations, and the animalloving community, we transferred 102 animals who otherwise would have faced uncertain outcomes.

If done properly, transporting animals can not only benefit the animals, but also their source and destination communities. Here are three major risks and risk responses that Toronto Humane Society considers when planning animal transfers.

Infectious Disease Risks “Before an animal even steps onto a truck, we are already actively doing a risk assessment”, says Larisa Nagelberg, Division Manager, Community Sheltering and Animal Transport. “There is a lot of conversation between us and the animal rescue group that helps facilitate the transfer. Many of them have medical information available that will help us determine if the animal is healthy and ready for their journey ahead. We always consider whether they have an infectious disease that may pose risks to their travel companions, or our community group of animals.”

The remote communities we support don’t always have a veterinarian or shelter available to assist with providing medical information before a transfer, so instead we rely on the rescue group to help determine the medical status of these pets – do they have runny noses, are they vomiting frequently, are they experiencing diarrhea – and we go from there. This will help us be aware of any potential risks prior to the transport. These pets aren’t able to get vaccines, so we have registered veterinary technicians administering vaccines as soon as they arrive.

Our protocol does not stop there. We have implemented a cohort model that stops any other animals within the building from being at risk. “Transfer animals are housed together with no other groups until they pass a 10-day quarantine,” explains Larisa. “That doesn’t mean they can’t be adopted or put into a foster home. It just means that within the building they’re not shuffling between other cohorts, so that if they have something that is perhaps infectious, nothing is getting transferred between groups.” Those caring for them, such as foster parents and adopters, are aware of the risk of disease as well.

These safety protocols were recently tested in mid-April when we welcomed 12 dogs from a remote community. One of the puppies transferred, Sequoia, was diagnosed with Parvovirus, a highly contagious disease, the day after her arrival. Thanks to the infectious disease safety protocols put in place, none of the other animals were affected. Behavioural and Medical Concerns “Our number one priority when transferring animals is making sure that they will experience good welfare during the transfer and upon arrival,” Larisa shares. “Similar to our concern about the animal’s physical welfare, there is a lot of conversation about an animal’s mental welfare as well.”

Even though we gather behaviour information prior to transfer, sometimes an animal’s previous behaviour doesn’t translate to their stay at our facility. “For example, a dog could have lived in a rural community. Upon arrival to our downtown facility, dogs can be exposed to several novel stimuli. At this time, we may learn a dog does not react well to bikes or other aspects of an urban environment,” Larisa explains. “At this point, our team of certified trainers will get involved and develop a training plan that will help the animal adjust. Our foster program is also often utilized to support these animals in a different environment.”

This was the case for Ahava. He was transferred from a remote community and once he arrived, he was so scared that he did not want to come out of his crate. He showed environmental nervousness and was very afraid of strangers. It took him a while to adjust to new things, but with help from our training team and his foster parents, his confidence grew, and he found his forever home. Capacity for Care “Capacity is sort of this fluid moving target. We can’t say we can only have this many dogs and this many cats because there are a lot of other things to consider. Having 10 puppies that need spay and neuter surgeries is different than having 10 dogs with heartworm, for example,” explains Larisa. “So, we consult with our shelter programs, including shelter care, medicine and our community sheltering team, to determine what type and number of animals we can support.” We take into consideration the amount of time required to enrich each animal, staffing, space, volunteer allotment, the number of long stay and short stay pets, and more.

Our transfer animals typically don’t need a lot of support, and they find their forever homes relatively quickly. “If we bring the appropriate animals into our care (and there’s occasionally a few anomalies), their stay will be shorter, and they won’t need too many resources. This way we’re still able to support animals thatare coming from local areas, like when an animal is surrendered for medical reasons, without taking away from their needs,” Larisa explains. “By predicting risks and having a plan to mitigate them, our Animal Transport and Relocation program helps Toronto Humane Society save as many lives as possible.”